Hot Topics:

Teachers upset over state testing, evaluations

NEA protests during governor's visit

Alamogordo News

Posted:
05/24/2014 08:42:22 PM MDT

Alex Quintana—Daily News
National Education Association teachers protested during Gov. Susana Martinez visit to Alamogordo. The teachers were protesting because of not enough classroom instruction, to manny state tests and teacher evaluations.

As Gov. Susana Martinez stopped by Yucca Elementary School, more than a handful of National Education Association-Alamogordo members followed in protest across the street to voice their concern over several educational issues.

Martinez was in town Friday to discuss the newly expanded Summer Food Service Program and "New Mexico True" Summer Reading Challenge, followed by an award ceremony for the local Motor Vehicle Department.

NEA-Alamogordo President Pandy Van Auken and others wanted to express their frustrations and concern over educational issues.

The group had to protest across the street from the school because they were told they couldn't protest on school property.

"We are protesting against the teacher evaluation process and the amount of testing," Van Auken said. "The time there is for the kids, more time to teach for the teachers rather than assessing and teacher's evaluations (which) are determined by high-stakes testing."

Van Auken said teachers received summary reports about their evaluations this week.

She said the system and data received is flawed because there are no checks and balances.

"Just in the last couple of days receiving their evaluation summative reports, and (teachers) are totally stressed, totally distraught," Van Auken said.

Advertisement

Martinez said only trained professionals do the assessments and evaluations of teachers.

"The evaluation criteria was developed by teachers, principals superintendents, parents from New Mexico," Martinez said. "So it is developed by New Mexican professionals to evaluate teachers which is only fair to make sure that we are rewarding the best teachers, that we are getting assistants to the teachers that need help, and making sure, in the end, the winners are our children because they are getting the best education."

When ask about those who feel there is more time spent teaching to tests than in-class instruction, Martinez said "the New Mexico Public Education Department is actually testing less than ever before."

"If there are additional tests being imposed by different school districts they are being imposed by the school board, their local board, and not by the state Public Education Department," Martinez said. "So they need to address those issues with the local school board and not the New Mexico Public Education Department because we reduced the amount of time spent on testing."

Van Auken said the Alamogordo Public Schools district is only doing what they have to do and their concerns were mainly at the state level.

"The way that I see it is Gov. Martinez choose Hanna (Skandera, Secretary of Education) as her Public Education designee and therefore she is responsible for the decision that come out of Public Education Department," Van Auken said.

She said there are teachers leaving their careers because of what is happening with current policies.

"We are losing teachers right and left because of their frustrations. There are teachers that could retire — that wouldn't have — retiring because it's not worth staying anymore," Van Auken said. "People got into the profession because they love teaching, they love kids, are wanting to leave. They just can't take it anymore."

Members who were at the protest said many more teachers could not make it because teachers were still working.

Van Auken said NEA-Alamogordo has more than 190 teachers and support staff members in their local group.

ODESSA, Texas (AP) — A West Texas man has been charged with impersonating an officer by using sirens and flashing lights to skip to the head of the drive-thru line at a fast-food restaurant. Full Story

Sufjan Stevens, "Carrie & Lowell" (Asthmatic Kitty) Plucked strings and pulsing keyboards dominate the distinctive arrangements on Sufjan Stevens' latest album, and in the absence of a rhythm section, they serve to keep time. Full Story